Tipping the balance between necrosis and apoptosis in human and murine cells treated with interferon and dsRNA

Interferons enhance the cellular antiviral response by inducing expression of protective proteins. Many of these proteins are activated by dsRNA, a typical by-product of viral infection. Here we show that type-I and type-II interferons can sensitize cells to dsRNA-induced cytotoxicity. In caspase-8- or FADD-deficient Jurkat cells dsRNA induces necrosis, instead of apoptosis. In L929sA cells dsRNA-induced necrosis involves high reactive oxygen species production. The antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole protects cells from necrosis, but shifts the response to apoptosis. Treatment with the caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-DL-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone or overexpression of Bcl-2 prevent this shift and promote necrosis. Our results suggest that a single stimulus can initiate different death-signaling pathways, leading to either necrotic or apoptotic cell death. Inhibition of key events in these signaling pathways, such as caspase activation, cytochrome c release or mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, tips the balance between necrosis and apoptosis, leading to dominance of one of these death programs.